R. R. Donnelley & Sons has announced the release of CustomWave RFID Solutions. Leveraging its proprietary Printed Electronics platform, RR Donnelley’s CustomWave RFID line offers smart label solutions, beginning with in-house RFID antenna design and performance testing.

Printed inlay manufacturing, custom label and tag creation, fully automated quality control, and global distribution and fulfillment services are also included.

By customizing the RFID antenna and label/tag characteristics to the application, RR Donnelley says that CustomWave RFID Solutions help customers improve their return on investment through better overall performance.

The platform features the ability to print antennas on a variety of materials, including directly onto a label. Eliminating the plastic inlay and printing antennas directly onto labelstock accommodates up to 30% more labels per roll and requires fewer rolls and packaging materials than traditional plastic inlay-based smart labels. Reducing the materials and the process steps enables CustomWave RFID Solutions to provide a cost-effective and environmentally friendly option for smart label production.

“We continue to drive innovation and improve manufacturing processes to add value and productivity to our customers’ supply chains,” says Ronnie Sarkar, chief technology officer and senior vice president at RR Donnelley. “Our inlay-less, smart label solutions drive efficiencies by increasing the number of labels on a roll, decreasing roll changes and minimizing shipping and storage costs.”

“Our CustomWave RFID Solutions build upon our years of experience working with RFID technologies, our expertise in label conversion, and our ability to develop and apply new technologies to help our customers solve their most pressing business challenges,” adds Brad Hull, RR Donnelley’s vice president of Printed Electronics.

RR Donnelley is a licensee of Round Rock Research, LLC, for RFID technology.